Gas lift valve



June 1 c. v. TEMPLE) GAS LIFT VALVE Filed Oct. 8, 1938 Patented June18,' 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFicE Gas LIFT vALvE n Clyde V. Temple,Tyler, Tex., assignorto The Guiberson Corporation, Dallas, Tex., acorporation o! Delaware Application October 8, 1936, Serial No. 104,613

15 Claims.

main valve for controlling such admission is l controlled by a. pilotvalve mechanism.'` It is a further object that such pilot valvemechanism may so control the operation ofthe main valve that the gas 'orair will not be admitted to the column of liquid within the well untilsaid column of liquid shall have attained a predetermined height.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a valve combinationin which the main valve will be operated by pressure admittedtheretothrough a pilot valve, and in which the pilot valve will in turnbe operated in accordance to be admitted to a column of liquid and thepressure within the column of liquid itself.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it being distinctly understood 3o that suchdrawing anddescription are by Way of example and illustration only, and are not tobe taken by way of limitation. limitation of the scope of this inventionis to be only by the prior art and by the terms of the appended claims.'

In Ithe drawing:

Fig. l is a View showing a well in vertical cross section.andillustrating in elevation the application of valves constructed inaccordance so with this invention to a string of tubing within the well.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section illustrating one of the valves and asection of the tubing' f shown in Fig. 1 with the main valveA in closedl5 position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the main valve in openposition.

With reference again to Fig. l, the well is illustrated as beingprovided with a casing I, 5@ having a screen or perforated pipe 2 on thelower -end thereof within the producing formation. The tubing 3 extendsto aV position within the screen 2 through-the interior of the casing,and is provided at intervals with short sections of fittings 4 towhichthe valves later to be dewith the pressures existing in the gas orair the valve is partly open to restrict the amount scribed areconnected. At a point above the up-f per end of thescreen or perforatedpipe 2 there 'is provided a packing 5 which seals up the lower end ofthe space within the casing. It is to be understood, of course, that thetubing is open at 5 its lower end within the screen or perforated pipe 2sothat iluid entering through the screen or perforatedpipe will flowinto the tube and upwardly out of the well.,

` Each of the fittings 4 is provided with an upper 10 laterallyextending member 6, and a lower member l, both of which members aresecured to the outer surface of the fitting 4 as by means of welding 8and 8.

The upper member 6 has a hollowed out por- 15 tion 3 which is connectedto the interior of the tubing by means of a passageway IIJ. Adjacent thelower end of this hollowed out portion 9 it is provided with acountersink II for the purpose of receiving packing or the like, andthis countersink is threaded adjacent its lower end to receive the nutI2. 'Ihe upper portion of the valve housing I3 extends into the hollowedout portion 9 and a iiuid packed seal is formed between the walls of thehollowed out portion and the ex- 25 terior of this housing I3 by meansof the packing II just referred to. Within the housing I3 there is shownthe main valve member I4 having a shoulder I5 adjacent its upper endadapted to seat against a corre- 3u spending shoulder formed on theinterior of the housing I3 to close the valve. Projecting beyond thisshoulder I5 is a conical shapedportion forming a sort of` metering pinadapted when of gas or Aair entering therethrough. This con- 35 icalshaped member I6 extends past the shoulder within the housing I3 andinto the passageway I'l which leads to the hollowed out portion S ofthemember 6, and thence by way of the passageway IEI to. the interior ofthe tubing. Just below the shoulder uthin the housing I3 the housing isprovided with an enlarged portion I8 communicating with the exterior ofthe housing through the passageway I9. The lower portion 4:5 of thehousing I3 is providedwith an enlarged opening 23 of a size to receivethe spring 2t which surrounds the lower endrof the main valve elementI4. This spring 2l bears against the flange 22 on thelower end of thisvalve element 50 and serves to constantly urge the main valve to openposition.

The lower end of the'housing I3 is interiorly threaded at 23 to receivethe threaded upper end of the pilot valve housing 24, and the pilotvalve housing is in turn exteriorly 'threaded at its lower end into thesocket member i which, as heretofore described, is welded or otherwisesecured to the exterior wall of the tubing il. This member l is providedwith a passageway 23 thereto connecting the interior of the pilot valvehousing 2S with the interior of the tubing.

At its upper end, the valve housing 2li is irlteriorly threaded toreceive the bushing 2l in which are formed the downwardly facing valveseats 23 and 29. Below this bushing 21 the housing 23 is provided with aportion 33 o enlarged diameter which when the bushing 2l is in placeforms a chamber within the housing. The lower end of this chamber is anupwardly facing valve seat 3l controlling an opening leading to thechamber 32 in the lower end of the pilot valve housing.

Through a passageway 33 in the pilot valve housing and the bushing 21,the space 3ft between the valve seats 23 and 29 is placed incommunication with the body of gas or air under pressure which is to beadmitted into the column of iiuid. The chamber 33 between the bushing 2land the upwardly facing valve seat 3l is in communication with thechamber 2U in the lower part of the main valve housing through apassageway 35 which is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing.

Extending downwardly through the bushing 21 is a valve 'stem 36 carryingthereon valve elements 31 and 38 adapted to seat, respectively, againstthe seats 28 and 23 in the bushing 21. Within the chamber 30 this valvestem is of somewhat enlarged diameter as shown at 33, and at its lowerend is provided with a reduced tapered section forming a valve elementl0 adapted to seat against the upwardly facing Valve seat 3l. The lowerportion 4i of this valve stem is surrounded by a washer or the like 52xedly mounted thereon adapted to receive the upper end oi a spring 43which constantly urges the valve stem together with all its valveelements into their uppermost position. The lower portion 3| of thisvalve stem is provided with a bore opening laterally at 44 just belowthe valve elen ment 40. So that when the valve element di) is moved fromits seat, fluid contact is established between the chamber 33 and theinterior of the tubing.

In operation, the space within the casing above the packer 5 is filledwith gas or air under a predetermined pressure. Considering, for thesake of simplicity, the operation of but a single valve, it will beassumed that in the beginning there is no oil standing in the tubingabove this valve. Under these conditions, in view of the fact that thevalve element 31 is considerably smaller than the valve element 38, thepressure of the gas or air in the space between the casing and thetubing will cause the valves 31 and 38 to be unseated, and will causethe valve stem 36 to move downwardly until the valve element 40 isseated against its seat 3l. When in this position, the air or gas underpressure will enter through the passageway 33, pass downwardly by thevalve 38 and upwardly by the valve 31, thus entering the chamber 20 boththrough the passageway 35 and directly past the upper end of the stem36. This gas under pressure will act upon the lower end of the mainvalve element Il and will force it to closed position against the actionof the spring 2|.

As the oil ows into the well from the producing formation, and the oilcolumn rises in the aangeeft tubing it willv upon reaching a certainheight exert a pressure through the passageway 2G which taken with theforce exerted by the spring :'33 will be sucient to move the valve stern15G and its associated valves so that the valve G9 will be unseated andthe valves 31 and will be seated despite the pressure exerted by the gasor air within the casing. 'When this occurs, no more gas or air can flowfrom the space within the casing into the chamber 2B, and the chamber'lil will be vented through the pasageway 35, the chamber 30, and thepassageways (lf3 and 23 into the tubing. The pressure within thechamber' 23 will thus be permitted to fall until it is the same as thepressure within the tubing. space above the valve element lll is alwaysat the same pressure as the space within the tubing, the only force thenexerted on the main valve element M will be that exerted by the spring2l tending to move the main valve to open position.

When the main valve is thus moved to open position air or gas underpressure is admitted from the space within the casing into the tubingthrough the passageways i9 and lil, and the column of iiuid within thetubing is aerated and caused to move upwardly and out of the well.

As soon as the column of fluid has moved upwardly and out the well sothat the pressure exerted through the passageway 25 is relieved by apredetermined amount, the force with which this pressure has been urging'the valve stem 36 upwardly is reduced so that the pressure from theinterior of the casing acting with unbalanced forces upon the valveelements 31 and 38 may again move the valve stem 36 downwardly. When thevalve stem 36 is moved downwardly a slight amount, a small amount of gasor air will be admitted into the chamber 3D, and to the chamber 20, thustending to close the main valve it, and as soon as there is suiiicientdifferential between the pressure within the casing and that within thetubing, the valve stem 36 will again move to its lower position as shownin Fig. 2, in which position the gas or air pressure will be permittedto close the main valve i4.

Slt is to be noted that the upper end of the valve stem 36 projects intothe chamber 29, and that when the main valve is moved to fully openposition upon closing of the valves 31 and 38 it will strike the valvestem 36 and tend to open these valves and close the valve 40. It iscontemplated that this action may take place and that the valves 31 and38 may be moved slightly from their seat several times as the tubingpressure drops, before the valves 31 and 38 nally are opened far enoughto seat Valve 40.

It will be seen from the foregoing that there has been provided a devicein which a pilot valve serves to control the action of the main valvefor admitting gas or air under pressure into a column of fluid. In thisconnection it may be stated that wherever in this specification and theaccompanying claims gas is referred to, the term is to be taken ashaving reference to any gaseous medium. It is further apparent that thispilot valve' is controlled by the pressure exerted by the column offluid so that it will be operated to cause the opening of the main valvewhen the column of fluid within a tubing has reached a predeterminedheight.

It is further to be noted that by this invention there has been provideda device ln which a relatively large and heavy main valve is positivelyactuated in accordance with the movements of a relatively light andsensitive pilot valve.

Since the g.

pressure actuated main valve for controlling the admission of gas intothe ow line, and a pilot valve for controlling the pressure acting onsaid main valve to actuate the same, said pilot valve being subject inits opera-tion to variations in pressure in said flow line.

2. In combination with a flow line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a pressure actuated main valve forcontrolling the admission of gas into the flow line, a pilot valve forcontrolling the pressure 'acting on said main valve to actuate thesa-me, said pilot valve being subject in its operation to variations indifferential between the pressure of gas to be admitted into said flowline and the pressure within the `ilow line itself.

3. In combination with a flow line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a main valve, a pressure actuated pilot valvefor controlling the pressure acting on said main valve to actuate thesame, and means connected to said pilot valve and subject to thepressure existing within said iiow line for actuating said pilot valvein accordance with variations of pressure within said ow line.

d. In combination with a flow line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a pressure actuated main valve forcontrolling the admission of gas into a column of iiuid, a pilot valvefor controlling the pressure acting on said main valve to actuate thesame, and means connected to said pilot valve and subject to thepressure within said flow line and to the pressure of the gas to beadmitted into said ow line, whereby said pilot valve will be actuatedaccording to variations in the dilerential between said pressures.

5. In combination with a o'w line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a pressure actuated valve for controllingadmission of gas into the ow line, and a pilot valve for controlling thepressure acting on said first mentioned valve to hold said firstmentioned valve in closed position when the pressure in said ow line isbelow a predetermined minimum, and to permit said iirst mentioned valveto move to open position when the pressure in said iiow line rises abovesaid minimum.

6. In combination with ow line positioned in a well, a gas lift pumpingdevice, including, a pressure actuated valve for controlling admissionof gas into the flow line, means for constantly urging said valve toopen position, a pilot valve for admitting pressure to hold said rst,mentioned valve in closed position when the pressure in said flow line isbelow a predetermined minimum, and to relieve a portion of said pressureto permit said means to move said iirst mentioned valve to open positionwhen the pressure in said flow line rises above said minimum.

7. In combination with a ilowr line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a pressure actuated main valve forcontrolling the admission of gas into the flow line, a spring tending toopen said main valve and a pilot valve for controlling the pressureacting on said main valve to govern the actuation thereof.

8.In combination with a flow line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a main valve for controlling the admission ofgas into the flow line, said main valve having parts adapted to beactuated by iiuid pressure, and pilot valve means for selectivelysubjecting said parts to the pressure of the gas to be admitted to saidflow line and to the pressure within said ow line.

9. In combination with a flow line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a main valvel for controlling the admissionof gas into the ow line, said main valve having parts adapted to beactuated by fluid pressure, pilot valve means for selectively subjectingsaid parts to the pressure of the gas to be admitted to said flow lineand to the pressure within said iiow line, and means constantly urgingsaid pilot v'alve mea-ns to a position subjecting said'main valve partsto the pressure within said ilow line.

10. In `combination with a ow line positioned ina well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a main valve for controlling the admission ofgas into the ow line, said main valve having parts ada-pted to beactuated by fluid pressure, and pilot valve means for controlling theadmission of pressure to said lparts to actuate the main valve, saidpilot valve means comprising a valve for admitting to said parts the gasto be admitted to said ow line, and means for closing said lastmentioned valve and subjecting said parts to the pressure within said owline when the column of fluid in the flow line attains a predeterminedheight.

il. In combination with a ow line positioned in a well, a gas litpumping device, including, a main valve for controlling the admission ofgas into the flow line, said main valve having parts adapted to beactuated by uid pressure, and pilot valve means for controlling theadmission oipressure to said parts to actuate the main valve, said pilotvalve means comprising a valve for admitting to said parts the gas to beadmitted to said flow line, a second valve for subjecting said parts tothe pressure within said iiow line, and loading means constantly urgingboth of said last mentioned valves toward a position subjecting saidparts to the pressure Within said flow line.

l2. In combination with a flow line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a main valve for controlling the admission ofgas into the ilow line, said main valve having parts adapted to beactuated by fluid pressure, and pilot valve means for controlling theadmission of pressure to said parts to actuate the main valve, said.pilot valve means comprising a valve for admitting to said parts thegas to be admitted to said flow line, a second valve for subjecting saidparts to the pressure within said flow line, loading means constantlyurging both of said last mentioned valves toward a position subjectingsaid parts to the pressure within said dow line, said last mentionedvalves having parts subjected to the pressure of said gas to oppose theaction of said loading means and parts subjected to the pressure withinsaid now line to aid the action of said loading means.

13. In combination with a ow line positioned in a well, a gas liftpumping device, including, a mainl valve for controlling the admissionof gas into the :dowy line, said main valve having parts adapted to beactuated by iluid pressure, and pilot valve means for controlling theadmission of pressure to said parts to actuate the main valve, seidpilot valve means comprising a, valve for admitting to scifi ports thegesto be admitted to seid evv line, e second velve for subjectingl seidpests to the pressure within said iow line, loading:T ineens constantlyurging both of seid lest mentioned valves towerd e position subjectingsaid to the pressure within seid iiow line, seid mentioned velves havingparte subjected to t pressure of seid gas to oppose the action of iloading ineens and parte subjected to the pres= sure within seid newline to sid the action si: seid loading ineens, seid lest mentionenveines else having e part adopted to be ectuetofi lc-5f movement of the:nein 'valve to open position to move seid lest mentioned velves toafiinit to the inici pressure actuated ports of mein valve the ges to beadmitted to s'eio' lot ine.

combination with a iiow line position/esi in e well, e ges lift pumpingdevice, minding, a main valve for controlling the ecimission of ges intothe ow line, saisi mein velve having parts adopted to be octusted by uidpressure, and pilot valve Ineens for selectively subjecting salici partsto the pressure of the gas to be edinittecl to seid -lovf line and tothe pressure within seid flow line, seid pilot velve means including ej,ziert adopted to be actuated ny .movement of the main Valve to openposition to move said pilot valve means to admit to the fluid pressureactuated. parts of the mein valve the fos which is to be admitted toseid .flow line.

l5. in combination with et flow line positioned in e well casing, liftpumping device including s, pressure actuated main valve for con-'trollingthe admission of ges into e. flow line, scid veve beingcontrolled by the varying differential pressures in the ow line and thecasing, e. spring tending to open seid valve, and pilot valve ineens tocontrol the pressure ect-ing on the seid mais. valve so that ivlien seidpressure is reduced to predetermined mint, saisi spring will open seidmain velve.

CLYBE l'.

